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Thursday, August 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

Geneva Bible

Job 20:6

Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauen, and his head reache vnto the cloudes,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ambition;   Hypocrisy;   Wicked (People);   Worldliness;   The Topic Concordance - Oppression;   Perishing;   Wickedness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ambition;   Dreams;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Cloud, Cloud of the Lord;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Cloud;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cloud;   Excellency;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Though his arrogance reaches heaven,and his head touches the clouds,
Hebrew Names Version
Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach to the clouds,
King James Version
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
English Standard Version
Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,
New Century Version
Their pride may be as high as the heavens, and their heads may touch the clouds,
New English Translation
Even though his stature reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds,
Amplified Bible
"Though his pride reaches the heavens And his head touches the clouds,
New American Standard Bible
"Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, And his head touches the clouds,
World English Bible
Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach to the clouds,
Legacy Standard Bible
Though his loftiness goes up to the heavens,And his head touches the clouds,
Berean Standard Bible
Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds,
Contemporary English Version
Though their pride and power may reach to the sky,
Complete Jewish Bible
His pride may mount to the heavens, his head may touch the clouds;
Darby Translation
Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds,
Easy-to-Read Version
Maybe an evil man's pride will reach up to the sky, and his head will touch the clouds.
George Lamsa Translation
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens and his head reach to the clouds,
Good News Translation
They may grow great, towering to the sky, so great that their heads reach the clouds,
Lexham English Bible
Even though his stature mounts up to the heaven, and his head reaches to the clouds,
Literal Translation
Though his height mounts up to the heavens, and his head touches to the clouds,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Though he be magnified vp to the heaue, so that his heade reacheth vnto the cloudes:
American Standard Version
Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach unto the clouds;
Bible in Basic English
Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
King James Version (1611)
Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauens, and his head reach vnto the clouds:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Though he be magnified vp to the heauen, so that his head reacheth vnto the cloudes:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
although his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice reach the clouds.
English Revised Version
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thouy his pride `stieth in to heuene, and his heed touchith the cloudis,
Update Bible Version
Though his height mounts up to the heavens, And his head reaches to the clouds;
Webster's Bible Translation
Though his excellence shall mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds;
New King James Version
Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens, And his head reaches to the clouds,
New Living Translation
Though the pride of the godless reaches to the heavens and their heads touch the clouds,
New Life Bible
Even if his pride is as high as the heavens and his head touches the clouds,
New Revised Standard
Even though they mount up high as the heavens, and their head reaches to the clouds,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,
Douay-Rheims Bible
If his pride mount up even to heaven, and his head touch the clouds:
Revised Standard Version
Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,
Young's Literal Translation
Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike --
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Though his loftiness reaches the heavens, And his head touches the clouds,

Contextual Overview

1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and saide, 2 Doubtles my thoughts cause me to answere, and therefore I make haste. 3 I haue heard the correction of my reproch: therefore the spirite of mine vnderstanding causeth me to answere. 4 Knowest thou not this of olde? and since God placed man vpon the earth, 5 That the reioycing of the wicked is short, and that the ioy of hypocrites is but a moment? 6 Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauen, and his head reache vnto the cloudes, 7 Yet shall hee perish for euer, like his dung, and they which haue seene him, shall say, Where is hee? 8 He shal flee away as a dreame, and they shal not finde him, and shall passe away as a vision of the night, 9 So that the eye which had seene him, shall do so no more, & his place shal see him no more.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

his excellency: Genesis 11:4, Isaiah 14:13, Isaiah 14:14, Daniel 4:11, Daniel 4:22, Amos 9:2, Obadiah 1:3, Obadiah 1:4, Matthew 11:23

clouds: Heb. cloud

Reciprocal: Psalms 52:5 - pluck

Cross-References

Genesis 3:3
But of the fruite of the tree which is in the middes of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eate of it, neither shall ye touche it, lest ye die.
Genesis 20:6
And God saide vnto him by a dreame, I knowe that thou diddest this euen with an vpright minde, and I kept thee also that thou shouldest not sinne against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touche her.
Genesis 20:7
Now then deliuer the man his wife againe: for he is a Prophet, and he shall pray for thee that thou mayest liue: but if thou deliuer her not againe, be sure that thou shalt die the death, thou, and all that thou hast.
Genesis 20:18
For the Lorde had shut vp euery wombe of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abrahams wife.
Genesis 26:11
Then Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man, or his wife, shal die the death.
Genesis 31:7
But your father hath deceiued me, & changed my wages tenne times: but God suffred him not to hurt me.
Genesis 35:5
Then they went on their iourney, and the feare of God was vpon the cities that were roud about them: so that they did not followe after the sonnes of Iaakob.
Genesis 39:9
There is no ma greater in this house then I: neither hath he kept any thing from me, but only thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickednes & so sinne against God?
Exodus 34:24
For I wil cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy coasts, so that no man shall desire thy land, whe thou shalt come vp to appeare before the Lord thy God thrise in the yeere.
Leviticus 6:2
If any sinne and commit a trespasse against the Lorde, and denie vnto his neighbour that, which was take him to keepe, or that which was put to him of trust, or doth by robberie, or by violence oppresse his neighbour,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens,.... Though, in worldly grandeur and glory, he should arrive to such a pitch as the Assyrian monarch was ambitious of, as to ascend into heaven, exalt his throne above the stars of God, and be like the Most High; or be comparable to such a tree, by which the greatness of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom is expressed, the height whereof reached unto heaven,

Isaiah 14:12;

and his head reach unto the clouds; being lifted up with pride, because of his greatness, and looking with contempt and scorn on others; the Septuagint version is, "if his gifts ascend up to heaven", c. which well agrees with an hypocrite possessed of great gifts, and proud of them as Capernaum was highly favoured with external things, as the presence of Christ, his ministry and miracles, and so said to be exalted unto heaven, yet, because of its impenitence and unbelief, should be brought down to hell, Matthew 11:23.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens - Though he attain to the highest pitch of honor and prosperity. The Septuagint renders this, “Though his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice should touch the clouds;” a sentence conveying a true and a beautiful idea, but which is not a translation of the Hebrew. The phrases, to go up to heaven, and to touch the clouds, often occur to denote anything that is greatly exalted, or that is very high. Thus, in Virgil,

It clamor coelo.

So Horace,

Sublimi feriam sidera vertice.

And again,

Attingit solium Joyis.

Compare Genesis 11:4, “Let us build us a tower whose top may reach unto heaven.” In Homer the expression not unfrequently occurs, τοῦ γὰρ κλέος οὐρανὸν ἵκει tou gar kleos ouranon hikei. In Seneca (Thyest. Act. v. ver. 1, 2,4,) similar expressions occur:

Aequalis astris gradior, et cunctos super

Altum superbo vertice attingens polum,

Dimitto superos: summa votorum attigi.

The “language” of Zophar would also well express the condition of many a hypocrite whose piety seems to be of the most exalted character, and who appears to have made most eminent attainments in religion. Such a man may “seem” to be a man of uncommon excellence. He may attract attention as having extraordinary sanctity. He may seem to have a remarkable spirit of prayer, and yet all may be false and hollow. Men who design to be hypocrites, aim usually to be “eminent” hypocrites; they who have true piety often, alas, aim at a much lower standard. A hypocrite cannot keep himself in countenance, or accomplish his purpose of imposing on the world, without the appearance of extraordinary devotedness to God; many a sincere believer is satisfied with much less of the appearance of religion. He is sincere and honest. He is conscious of true piety, and he attempts to impose on none. At the same time he makes no attempt scarcely “to be” what the hypocrite wishes “to appear” to be; and hence, the man that shall appear to be the most eminently devoted to God “may” be a hypocrite - yet usually not long. His zeal dies away, or he is suffered to fall into open sin, and to show that he had no true religion at heart.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 20:6. Though his excellency mount up to the heavens — Probably referring to the original state of Adam, of whose fall he appears to have spoken, Job 20:4. He was created in the image of God; but by his sin against his Maker he fell into wretchedness, misery, death, and destruction.


 
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